Piper PA-32RT-300 | N30689

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the accident pilot attempted a very heavy takeoff from runway 12 at 83FA. The accident pilot was in a hurry due to an approaching line of weather, and failed to secure the forward nose baggage door. The baggage door came open after liftoff and the accident pilot mishandled this abnormal and did allow the aircraft to turn left, slow to a speed well below DMMS speed, and then eventually below stall speed. The aircraft became fully aerodynamically stalled and spun while in a left turn, impacting the backyard of a home at 96067 Ashford Ct, Yulee, FL Contents from the nose of the aircraft were found on the departure path.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted
in a stall/spin at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident was the opening
of the nose baggage door and subsequent distraction of the pilot during a critical phase of
flight, as well as the external pressure of the approaching thunderstorms, which likely resulted
in the pilot rushing to depart.

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft rehearse and condition themselves to be critically careful of latches, doors and fuel caps during the preflight process, and to be fully conditioned to disregard the in flight abnormal in these scenarios and fly the aircraft first, wings level and at DMMS as a minimum. Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.